Discover Epoxy: The Various Types Of Epoxy Floor Coatings

From coating garage floors, protecting commercial facilities and serving as the main flooring systems in homes, epoxy flooring has grown to be one of the most popular flooring systems on the market. As we know, once something becomes mainstream, innovation in the field becomes accelerated, producing variations of the flooring system. As of today, there are dozens of different types of epoxy flooring on the market so it can become confusing to what you need in your home or your business. So today, we are going to be digging into epoxy flooring to help you discover the various types of epoxy flooring systems on the market, so let’s get started!

Before we get into the different types of epoxy floor coatings, we first need to establish what epoxy flooring is. Where most people assume that epoxies are simply paints, they are the farthest thing from it. Epoxy is a 2 part system, a combination of polymer resins and hardeners; which make the epoxy heat up and thus cure. When properly mixed, the resins and the hardener react chemically, creating a strong bond with each other and the concrete substrate. The result of this chemical reaction is a durable and nonporous plastic material that bonds incredibly well to concrete. Now that you know what the base of all epoxies is, let’s discover some of the different types of epoxy flooring systems on the market today!

Self-leveling epoxies are most commonly found on existing concrete that has imperfections like cracks, weathering or repairs. The self-leveling capabilities of this epoxy will hide all imperfections on the concrete slab and provide a straight and level floor coating for areas like commercial, industrial and residential settings with a shiny, seamless and broad range of colors to choose from. Down below, you will find where self-leveling epoxies are commonly used:

Quartz-filled epoxies are a decorative variation of epoxy flooring that still uses a 2 part system for a high-performance finish. Plain or stained quartz is added during the mixing process and during the application, are troweled or squeegeed down to provide a smooth finish with decorative properties that will enable the system to glimmer when in contact with light. This decorative epoxy floor coating is most commonly used in settings that require decorative flooring with hygienic and slip-resistant finishes like schools, restrooms, and cafeterias.

Epoxy mortar floors are classified as the strongest and benefit-rich system, This is because mortar epoxies use the 100% solids epoxy system paired with graded or quartz sands. This mixture will allow for a floor coating that is highly resistant to chemicals, impacts from dropped objects and heavy foot or vehicle traffic. An interesting benefit of mortar epoxies is that they can be applied as a base coat to fill the cracks in existing concrete slabs before another epoxy system is installed on top.

Just like quartz filled epoxies, metallic epoxy floor coatings are a system that is used to add decorative flair to any setting. Metallic epoxies use the 100% solid epoxy system but with an additive of metallic pigments to create custom finishes that offer extreme variety for any setting. With a trained contractor using squeegees, solvents, and blowers to craft finishes that mimic the appearance of waves, clouds or lava; basically, anything you can think of! Because this decorative coating uses the 100% solid epoxy system, you will enjoy benefits like durability, longevity and rapid cure times in your home or business.

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can be a major concern for many workplaces today with so many businesses relying on sensitive electronics, servers, and the internet. One of the best ways to reduce the statics hazards in your business is with an anti-static epoxy floor coating. These coatings are created with a conductive compound that will collect rouge electricity and will dissipate any potential discharge that could destroy sensitive electronics. Anti-static epoxies are a highly recommended flooring system for areas that house, disperse or manufacture flammable materials.

This variation of epoxy flooring has an additive of mono-colored or multi-colored flakes that will bring depth and aesthetic appeal to any coating. While most assume that flakes are used purely for appeal, they create small groves in the epoxy. Even though these grooves are small, they can increase the slip and skid resistance of the flooring, making any area they are installed in a safer area, especially if the setting regularly becomes wet or soiled.